


i can guarantee that at the end of the road i see you with me

by calthighway



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27121886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calthighway/pseuds/calthighway
Summary: “You have a boyfriend?” Lola almost jumps up, offended that Ben hadn’t told her such news.“No,” Ben huffs. “That’s the problem. There’s no boyfriend, but mum wants to come over and meet said boyfriend and now I don’t know what to do.”or a fake relationship au
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 9
Kudos: 93





	i can guarantee that at the end of the road i see you with me

Ben’s not sure why he says what he does. It’s just a jumble of words that fall out of his mouth and he’s left kicking himself for it.

“I’m not single anymore, mum.”

Only he is. He very much _is._ One night stands are just that, Ben doesn’t wish for anything more. He knows what he wants, likes, he doesn’t need a boyfriend or even want one.

The squeal of excitement from his mum on the other end of the phone makes him pinch his nose and close his eyes, trying not to do something dramatic like scream his flat down. “What? How long? I want to meet him!”

“Mum - slow down. It ain’t anything serious, it’s only been a couple of weeks-“

“That’s the longest relationship you’ve ever had, Ben. Don’t you dare play it down,” Kathy pauses. “Ashamed of your mum, are ya?”

“No. No, course not,” Ben laughs nervously. “I just don’t see the need to rush things right now.”

Ben hears the disappointment when Kathy says, “I just thought it would be nice. I haven’t seen my boy since he moved away, now he tells me he’s got a boyfriend and I can’t even come and meet him!”

Ben flops back onto the sofa, his head falling back and just stares up at the ceiling hoping for _something_ to take him back before he answered his phone. His wish doesn’t come true though, Kathy calling his name down the phone. “Fine,” Ben finally grumbles. “Ya can come over and meet him.”

“Aw son, I’m so happy for you!”

Ben tries to respond, but all he can do is think about how he’s supposed to work around this. “I will phone ya when it’s a good time to come visit, alright?”

“Of course son. Don’t leave it too late though, will ya?” Kathy laughs cheerful, almost making Ben hang up then and there and blaming it on his signal after. “I can’t wait to tell everyone.”

“What? No. Not so fast. Just chill, yeah? You haven’t even met him yet, ya might not think he’s good enough for your precious son,” Ben tries to joke.

Kathy seems to buy it, laughing a little, “I guess so. Sorry, I’m just so happy for you.”

Ben smiles tightly, “it’s fine, mum. I’ll phone ya later, yeah?”

“Alright, I love you, son.”

“Love you too,” Ben replies, hanging up quickly.

Ben throws his phone and tries to _think_.

*

Ben looks up previous hook ups, tries to remember what they were like - half of them he didn’t even get their names or perhaps he just chose not to listen and wasn’t interested in small talk.

None of them seem the type to want to settle down, all of them with just the same goal as Ben on a night out.

Ben decides most of them are a no go and decides to search the apps on his phone. Swiping along mindlessly, because at this point, a simple match is better than the situation he’s put himself in now without even one option out there. At least he’ll have the chance to meet someone probably desperate enough to go along with his story.

Or maybe Ben’s just thinking that to make himself feel better.

_Hey mate. We’ve only just met, but I need ya to be my fake boyfriend. Up for it?_

Ben imagines people’s reaction to it. Ben wants to hide himself away for good.

“You’re here to work, ya know,” Lola rocks up out of nowhere surprising Ben and making him hide his phone away.

He gives her a warning look, “piss off, will ya.”

She eyes him up suspiciously, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Ben lies. “Why ya all up in my business?”

Lola just laughs, sitting down next to him. “I’ve known ya long enough to know where you’re up to something. Spill.”

“It’s nothing,” Ben scratches his cheek. “You’ll just laugh at me.”

“I do that anyway,” Lola smirks. “Seriously. What’s wrong?”

“I’ve done something stupid,” Ben looks at Lola and sighs, “even for me.”

She turns to get herself comfy until she’s facing Ben before he continues. Her face sobers slightly, sensing the tension on Ben’s shoulders.

“Told mum I had a boyfriend and now she wants to meet him.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Lola almost jumps up, offended that Ben hadn’t told her such news.

“ _No,”_ Ben huffs. “That’s the problem. There’s no boyfriend, but mum wants to come over and meet said boyfriend and now I don’t know what to do.”

Lola can’t help but laugh, her hands covering her face when Ben scorns her for it. She bites down on her lip before she settles back down to pat Ben’s shoulder. “Well, you’ve made my week at least.”

“Yeah. Not helping, Lola,” Ben tells her. “If ya ain’t-“

“Alright,” Lola holds her hands up. “I’m sorry. Let me think-“

“Lola we - oh sorry,” Ben and Lola turn to the interruption. One of the guys from Lola’s office stands awkwardly by the door. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.

Ben looks up at him waiting for him to leave them in peace, but Lola’s looking like all her Christmas’s have come at once. “Callum,” she says, half surprised and half like he has the answers to everything. “Come in,” she tells him.

“Hm, no, we are trying to sort out my life here!” Ben moans dramatically, all wide eyed and annoyed at Lola.

Lola rolls her eyes, waving Ben away and smiling sweetly up at Callum. Callum comes in cautiously and takes a seat on the small sofa in front of them.

Ben’s eyes land on him naturally. He takes in as much as he can before it becomes weird or Callum notices him staring.

“Ben, this is Callum. Callum, this is Ben,” Lola introduces them with a grin before nudging Ben until he outstretches his hand so they can shake hands.

“Nice to meet ya,” Callum says after they share a quick but firm hand shake. “Lola’s mentioned ya a few times.”

“All good I hope,” Ben says, eyeing Lola up knowingly.

“Just about,” Callum smirks, more aimed at Lola but Ben sure notices a small glint in his eyes until he’s looking away.

Lola grins along, “Callum is the new head of operations, Ben. He’s brilliant, really settled in well, haven’t ya? The team love him.”

Lola’s praise brings out a blush to Callum’s cheeks. “All the girls were like dogs on heat when he first walked in, but we had to let them down gently, didn’t we? Because ya know…”

“I’m gay. Yeah,” Callum huffed an awkward laugh, not sure where this was going or why Lola was acting the way she was.

Ben got it, though. It finally clicked, and the idea was stupid. Ben, for once, was speechless.

Lola smiled between them, “I need ya to do Ben a favour-“

“Honestly, there’s gotta be a better option than this,” Ben hurried.

“Shh,” Lola scorned. “It sounds mad because it _is_ mad, but it won’t be forever and you’ll probably end up having fun, so why not?”

“Nobody’s actually told me what’s happening?” Callum said, looking on confused and a little worried.

Ben sighs, scratching his eyebrow, “I told my mum I had a boyfriend and she wants to meet him, but there is no boyfriend. So now I need a boyfriend and Lola thinks she’s clever asking ya, but-“

“Ben,” Callum laughs, “breathe yeah? It’s not a big deal,” Callum shrugs. “I’ll do it.”

Ben can’t believe how easy it was. Was Callum just as nice as everyone made out, was he really ok going along with this for someone he didn’t know?

Ben didn’t understand it, and he didn’t think he ever would as he watched Callum and Lola chatting and laughing amongst themselves like nothing had happened.

*

They plan for Callum to come over to his after work on the Friday with a bag full of clothes and a few of his other stuff to put around the place.

“Nice place,” Callum says looking around and taking his shoes off by the door. “Open plan kitchen? Very smart,” Callum walks around a little trying to get a feel for the place. “Do ya have have do’s and don’ts I should know about whilst I’m here?”

Ben shakes his head, “just clean up after yaself and there’ll be no problems. I’m pretty laid back.”

Callum nods along, pointing down the corridor. “Ya gonna give me a tour then, or what?”

“Yeah, yeah sorry,” Ben swallows trying to get himself together.

Ben leads the way into the bathroom, then onto his room with an en-suite and onto the spare room he’s sorted out for Callum’s stay.

“Sorry it’s only a single bed,” Ben takes Callum’s bag from him and puts it on the bed.

“It looks cosy in here, better than my place,” Callum offers with a smile.

Ben smiles back and clears his throat. “Why are ya doing this, Callum?” Ben asks, needing the one thing playing on his mind out in the open.

Callum licks his lips, looking away a little shyly. “Could see ya were desperate, wanted to put ya out of your misery I guess. Sorry if ya didn’t want-“

“No, no. You’re a good choice,” Ben eyes Callum up briefly feeling a little more relaxed. “Definitely could have had worse.”

Callum laughs and shakes his head, “charming.”

“I’ll leave ya to unpack and then we can get a takeaway if ya fancy?”

Callum nods with a smile, “sounds like a plan.”

“What do ya want? Pizza, Indian…”

“Chinese?” Callum asks, bringing clothes out of his bag.

“Chinese it is,” Ben grins, standing and watching Callum move around like he’s been here before.

Ben clears his throat and excuses himself quietly.

*

“Photos,” Callum says the next day.

Ben had made breakfast for them and was pleased when Callum had made it know Ben had made the _perfect_ poached egg.

They’d talked about Kathy, what she did for a living, what she was like. Ben had been open and told Callum that he didn’t speak or see his dad and that’s just the way he liked it. Callum surprisingly shared back that his relationship with his own father was the same.

They told each other a few of their likes and dislikes. Amazed at some similarities, but Ben drew the line at Callum’s interest for Star Wars and love of sci-fi. Ben was also disgusted when Callum admitted not to seeing much musicals which somehow prompted Ben to tell Callum he was going to change that as soon as possible.

“What?”

“We don’t have any photos of us. Won’t that seem odd?”

Ben blinks, thinks about it. “I told my mum we hadn’t been together long. I don’t think she’d take too much notice into stuff like that.”

“I know I don’t know ya mum, or anything, but what couple don’t take photos together?” Callum grabs his phone quickly and opens up the front camera, he sits closer to Ben on the sofa and puts his arm around the back of Ben, “smile,” Callum grinned up at the camera and Ben smiled as much as he could.

Callum then proceeded to put the photo as his lock screen and showed Ben. “Get ya phone,” Callum told him.

Ben got his phone and unlocked it for Callum, he knew they were about to have another photo, it wasn’t a big deal, but Ben’s breathing was heavy. All he could feel and focus on was Callum’s thigh against his and the arm behind his neck. It made him feel warm. Strange in a way that it made him feel good.

“We need a different pose for this one,” Callum tells Ben. Ben just looks at him, his knee bumping into Callum’s frequently. “I got an idea, but I don’t want to do anything you’ll be uncomfortable with.”

“Takes a lot for that,” Ben laughs, his head falling back slightly onto Callum’s arm and he finds himself leaving it there. Callum doesn’t move away, instead his hand moves to Ben’s shoulder and it sends a shiver down his spine.

“Gonna kiss ya cheek, is that alright?” Callum asks quietly, almost sounds nervous, but Ben’s probably seeing things that aren’t there now. His own nerves taking over every fibre of his being.

Ben nods with a small encouraging smile. Callum raises the phone back up and then he leans in close until his lips are pressed against Ben’s cheek lightly.

Ben smiles as much as he can up at the phone, Callum’s eyes are closed in the kiss and it makes Ben move his face closer.

Just as Ben’s hand relaxes on Callum’s thigh, Callum takes the photo and leans back to take a look. “I like that,” Callum shows Ben before making it Ben’s wallpaper.

“Now that’s sorted I’m going to start food. Chicken pasta?”

Ben laughs shakily because he’s heard a lot already about this chicken pasta, and now Callum walks to the kitchen confidently getting out what he needs.

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Ben looks down at his phone, at the photo. His eyes look _happy,_ they look comfortable together.

It doesn’t look fake. Looking at the photo, even Ben wonders how they’ve managed to look so real and _good_ together.

It also doesn’t feel fake or unwanted when Ben’s fingers touch where Callum’s lips had lingered against his cheek.

*

“Ben, just relax, will ya?”

Ben paces his flat, “what if she knows we are lying?”

“Why would she?” Callum shrugs, “we’ve been living together for a month now, all we’ve done is for today, ain’t it? We won’t mess it up. I won’t let it,” Callum says confidently.

Over the month they’ve grown close. They have intimate moments like shared looks, sharing the bathroom together, film nights, late night talks until one of them falls asleep and the over places a blanket over them.

They’ve had all those moments and it’s all come down to this day.

Even down to the last minute, Callum reassures Ben as much as possible. Coming up to him until he’s in reaching distance and cups his face a little before dropping it to give his shoulder a squeeze. “We good?”

Ben covers Callum’s hand with his own, letting out a deep breath before nodding and linking his fingers with Callum’s. “Yeah.”

Callum blinks a wink down at him before the door bell rings.

It’s showtime.

*

Callum’s affectionate throughout. Hands effortlessly on Ben like he was made to do it. They’re soothing and reassuring always. They’re big and warm, they make Ben cling and hope for longer touches.

Kathy watches them with a constant smile, telling Ben over and over again how happy she is for him. How lovely Callum is. How _attractive_ Callum is.

None of that about Callum is a lie. Callum is more than those things. He’s holding everything together whilst Ben feels himself falling at a godly speed. A speed in which he can’t be caught or stopped until he’s crashed.

“Thank you,” Ben whispers to Callum as they wash up together and Kathy watches a film. “You’ve done more than I could have asked of ya today.”

Callum smiles down at the soapy water, “it’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?” He turns to look at Kathy, “your mum is lovely.”

Ben smiles at her in appreciation and agreement.

When Kathy turns to look over at them, Ben does something they haven’t done before - something they could have gone without doing, but Ben feels like he’s under the spotlight and he’s not sure what else to do.

“Come here,” he whispers up at Callum until he’s turning slightly in Ben’s direction.

He pulls the front of his jumper into his hands until Callum’s against him and leans up to kiss Callum slowly.

Maybe he should have asked if it was ok first, or maybe he should have just left Callum to it and joined his mum. None of those thoughts entered his mind though. He didn’t want to do anything other that what they were doing now.

Ben pulled back slightly, worried he’d gone too far, but Callum’s hands found place on the back of Ben’s head to pull him back in and held him there to kiss him back.

Ben was moved back by Callum’s passion, his back hitting the wall beside them and a moan escaped Ben’s lips quietly - just loud enough for Callum to press further into him.

“Get a room will ya!” Kathy shouted.

Callum moved away with a shock expression on his face, Ben’s hands still clinging onto his clothing. “Sorry,” Callum mumbled towards Ben, a little confused and out of breath.

Callum forgot about the rest of the washing up, wiping his now damp hands onto a cloth and joining Kathy on the sofa without looking at Ben again.

Ben breathed heavily, frustrated and confused.

He realised quickly he didn’t want any of this to end, he just wasn’t sure how he was supposed to change it.

*

When Ben had joined them he’d sat down on the floor just by Callum’s feet. He wasn’t sure if Callum would want him to sit near him, he didn’t particularly want to see Callum’s face in case he saw regret looking back.

Yesterday they’d taken Callum’s stuff out of the room he’d been staying in for Kathy’s stay tonight. Now with her heading to bed, it was just the both of them for the first time since this morning.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Ben looked up at Callum from where he was. “I wasn’t thinking and I just panicked. If ya want, I’ll sleep out here tonight and you have my bed.”

Callum rolled his eyes, “imagine your mum wakes up in the night to find ya out here? No. Just come to bed,” Callum’s gets up and heads to the bathroom, choosing to ignore anything about the kiss.

Ben waits a bit before making a move to bed himself, kind of hoping for Callum to be asleep by the time he’s finished his nightly routine.

He isn’t though, he’s awake and facing Ben and Ben’s climbs into bed with his back to Callum. “Don’t be like that,” Callum sighs, pulling on Ben’s arm. “Look at me.”

Ben closes his eyes as he turns to face Callum instead. In the silence, Callum reaches over and tilts Ben’s head up a little until they’re looking at each other and he runs his thumb across Ben’s bottom lip.

“I don’t want ya to feel bad about earlier, alright? It took me by surprise that’s all.”

“Think I surprised myself too,” Ben laughs. “Thanks for not rejecting me, don’t think my ego would have been able to get over that.”

Callum just scoffs. “You don’t have to worry about that.

Ben smiles fondly at him, enjoying the feel of Callum’s hand on his arm. “You’re very touchy feely, aren’t ya?” Ben mumbles sleepily into his pillow. “I like it.”

“Night Ben,” Callum replies, fingers edging the bottom of Ben’s hair in slow strokes.

“Night,” Ben whispers, shuffling a little closer.

*

With Kathy now gone and satisfied with the way her sons life seems to be going, everything slowly goes back to how it was before.

Callum’s moved out. There’s no trace of him in Ben’s flat anymore. It’s empty and lifeless. There’s no smell of breakfast in the morning. No bad singing coming out from the shower. Nothing.

They see each other momentarily in work and it’s like the passed month didn’t happen. Like they hadn’t kissed or shared a bed or _shared the last four weeks faking a relationship for one bloody night_.

All of it was probably a little too much looking back, but Ben misses it now.

One thing Ben hasn’t done yet is change his wallpaper back. It should have been the first thing he’d done, but he couldn’t. He sees it and he’s taken back to that moment, to that first bit of contact and he doesn’t want to delete it because he doesn’t want to erase it or forget it.

It’s not unusual for Callum to have the same lunch break as Ben, but whenever he does Ben can’t help but stare and wonder how his days has been, or what he’s made himself for lunch. He just wants to _talk_ to him and never have to stop.

Callum places his phone down onto the table and it lights up, that’s when Ben sees it. Callum hasn’t changed his wallpaper either. What does it mean?

Ben’s heart pounds a little as he gets up and joins Callum by the kettle. Ben places his own phone down in front of them revealing the picture of them both.

“Can’t seem to change it. Don’t really want to,” Ben shrugs, scratching the back of his head.

Callum smiles as he stirs his tea. “Same. Weird ain’t it? Not being ‘boyfriends.’”

“How do ya fancy going on a date?”

“What?” Callum stops what he’s doing to look at Ben.

“I like ya,” Ben breathes. “Like a lot and I want ya in my life, Callum.”

Callum’s ears go pink as his heart grows in size at the fondness he has for Ben. “You want to be my _real_ boyfriend, don’t ya?”

Ben shoves a little at Callum’s chest unable to do anything but laugh when Callum pulls Ben into him easily. “You’re amazing,” Callum says, wrapping his arms around Ben’s waist.

“So is that a yes because you’re just stating the obvious now,” Ben beams, holding Callum tightly and screaming in his head that he isn’t willing to let go this time.

“It’s a ‘let me think about it,’” Callum winks, treasuring the smile on Ben’s face before capturing his lips with his.

_I see us in black and white  
Crystal clear on a star lit night  
There'll never be another  
I promise that I'll love ya_

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday katie! @halfwayinit


End file.
